The Handmaid's Tale Season 2 (UK Pace) - thread 4

[CruCru]

Hi all

Here is the next thread for those who are watching The Handmaid's Tale Season 2 on Channel 4. Please don't put any spoilers on this - the other thread (for those in other countries who are watching ahead of the UK) is:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/telly_addicts/3239228-Handmaids-Tale-Season-2-SPOILERS-VIEWING-AHEAD-OF-UK-SREENING

Someone on the last thread asked for a link to the previous threads:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/telly_addicts/3216737-The-Handmaid-s-Tale-Season-2

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/telly_addicts/3269725-The-Handmaids-Tale-Season-2-UK-Pace-thread-2

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/telly_addicts/3290403-The-Handmaids-Tale-Season-2-UK-Pace-thread-3?pg=38

I've been following thisthread and the series but not posted before. I found last night's episode particularly harrowing. After the scene with June asking the commander to place her in the same distract as Hannah and his reaction, I thought Serena would suffer the consequences. Especially as there was another warning of sexual violence after the ad break. But the rape scene was horrific, I don't think gratuitous. Fred and Serena are so calculated.

I thought aunt Lydia was pushing it after the false labour and her comments to Serena.

I don't think Nick is dead but intriguing hearing people's theories on why and who is involved. It's compulsive viewing but harrowing. This is the first episode I have cried watching.

I feel beside myself with loathing for the Waterfords. Please, please let there be a Nuremburg style reckoning when Gilead is overthrown, as surely it must be, eventually. Fred would go down for murder, multiple counts of rape and false imprisonment. I'm totally against capital punishment but I'd cheerfully hang the fucker myself.

I think fred sent her to meet Hannah to remind her she's about to lose both her children.

I'm so close to looking up spoilers!! I just NEED to know what will happen to June and her kids.

I just want to know if she escapes with them or not. If she does I will be able to breath again, if she doesn't I'll be excited for a 3rd series.

Is the war still ongoing? There are still US states that haven’t become Gilead aren't there? If Gilead is invaded who would that be by? The remaining US states or Canada? Or joint effort?

Monkeyslut.. I looked up next few episodes as was losing interest but now very into it again

I thought aunt Lydia was pushing it after the false labour and her comments to Serena.

And after June cheeked Serena, Aunt Lydia shook her head at her but that was all she did. No suggestion of further punishment to come.

I doubt even Aunt Lydia would sanction what happened to June.

I was so desperate for June to tell Aunt Lydia what happened, but I suppose it would have been her word against the Waterfords if she had, and Aunt Lydia cares more about the baby than June right now.

Obviously the chance never arose.

Do you think Fred might stage a heroic 'rescue', and accuse June of running away again? What would they do to her for that? Another dismemberment, or would it be a death/colonies type punishment?

I'm trying really hard not to go spoiler hunting, but this weekly wait is very hard!

I don't think Fred set up anything . He simply hasn't come across as being the type of character with enough foresight to set up anything . It just seems out of character . Plus, leaving June stranded would cause a hell of a lot of trouble if Serena were to notice she was missing.

Just wanted to say I'm really enjoying the podcast someone linked up thread! ( avoiding spoilers tho...😀)

I am really anxious that June is stranded in the cold, inadequately clothed, at term with a baby measuring over 9 pounds.
What if she goes into labour and gets into difficulty?
She could die.

I can’t find the link to the podcast for some reason, what was it called and I’ll search for it?

I don’t think Fred set them up. As PPs have already said, he just doesn’t have that sort of foresight. Also, I don’t see what he’d have to gain from giving June a possible escape opportunity, he’d lose ‘his’ child and, even if he doesn’t really want it, he does want the status it would bring him; Serena would be pretty pissed off; the embarrassment and fallout of having lost a pregnant handmaid twice could potentially be absolutely disasterous for his position within Gilead.

My feeling is that Fred didn't plan what happened but that the meeting with Hannah was clandestine. He told Nick that no-one should see them, and Hannah's guard was very anxious about getting away, so there was danger there.

Need to re-watch to see who shot whom. I don't think Nick would leave June there if he had a choice.

I think Serena will go nuts when she finds out that June is missing and Fred will have to go and look for her. They will get into trouble with the authorities is my guess. I think Fred's position as a Commander is precarious. If June has the baby by herself I'm not sure if Serena can be considered its 'mother' as her bizarre birthing ceremony probably gives her that status. So many unknowns - so tempting to look for spoilers but that will ruin it.

I would love to know what Margaret Atwood really thinks of it all.

Well! That was quite an episode.

I'm still processing what happened atcthr end. Did Nick get shot or was he in cahoots with one of the other guards? Is this June's chance to get away?

I've only just watched it so need to have a think about it all.

Hate Fred though. He's a brute.

@MygirlKeith the podcast is called Eyes on Gilead, I'm listening to it on Apple

De lurking to say I wonder if there are religious parallels with Fred kissing June either when he told her he had a surprise for her or putting her in the car (can't remember which) and Judas's kiss to betray Jesus?

In the book, the man accused of rape was a mayday operative

In the program he raped a handmaid and caused her to lose her baby.

So prehaps the wife is the one who reported it as it endangered the child not the handmaid.

God I struggled to hold back those tears when she was reunited with Hannah.

I do think Fred has done this with an intent of being a "nice guy".

Ok I did something horrific, so here, see your daughter to make up for it.

I DO know what's going to happen.. so I'm looking forward to seeing next weeks

This is the first time I’ve been tempted to look spoilers up too! Ive even considered seeing if I can download the next episode from somewhere! I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Some of my thoughts :
I agree with PP that actually we needed to see the rape of June, and I often fast forward through grim stuff, but sometimes we do need to see it.

Up until now Serena has been able to justify to herself that the hideous things she has done to Offred are ok because Offred is her handmaid, but this time she held June down whilst June repeatedly said ‘no’ and Serena saw exactly what she was doing- holding another woman down while her husband raped her, there will be no coming back from that.

Aunt Lydia would most definitely be horrified by the brutal rape of Offred, I think Aunt Lydia wants to believe in
Gilead, and even in the regimes twisted ideology rape is not committed for the sake of rape.
Aunt Lydia once said “Sometimes what’s best for everyone isn’t fair” I wonder if this is how she justifies the brutality of the regime- keeping everyone playing by the rules keeps her ‘girls’ safe.
(am also very intrigued by her nephew story and want to know more!)

Commander Waterford is the worst character I have ever come across. I genuinely HATE this man, and I will cheer when the bastard finally gets what’s coming to him!

I have no words for June after this episode, words are inadequate.

And I really hope Nick is not dead!

If anyone is tempted to google spoilers let me tell you this

Don't

Don't get me wrong, even though I know what's going to happen, I still feel tense, but because I know what's going to happen I can't relax in places where others can.

So don't ruin it for yourself

Soubriquet

Thanks for the warning, I would regret it the moment I read it I know! Will step away from google!

Commander Waterford is the worst character I have ever come across. I genuinely HATE this man, and I will cheer when the bastard finally gets what’s coming to him!

Yes! And to think I fancied Joseph F like mad when he was in Shakespeare in Love...

I have a feeling Nick is brown bread, and even if he survives being shot there is no way he can think of a story to cover June being missing and carry on being an eye. I also have a feeling that eden is pregnant, cue Serena offering to take the baby since it would not be tainted by June's rebellious blood, and it wouldn't matter that Fred was not the father.

Hmm, all I have to do now is think of a way to get June safely delivered and across the border. ..........

Sobriquet, I don't think the man the Handmaids killed had raped a hand maid and killed a baby, I think that was what the handmaids were told he had done to persuade them to kill him.

As Nick said to Eden, everyone knows touching a handmaiden is suicide.